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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stock — goods
  5. lean — thin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mate — a friend
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mate — a partner
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. current — of water
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com